Unless you are the .01 percent of the population that can tell the difference between let's say a Bose system vs a Sony system purely by listening, the base system is more than fine. I have no complaints about my base system as I don't need Dolby surround, THx, pro logic, equalizer, etc. etc. each time I turn on the radio. Light wood is ugly IMHO, get darker wood for the more classy timeless look.